New Tailgating Rules: Too Strict or About Time?

[TecmoSuperHawk]

My problem with these rules is that it's another year and another attempt by the University to suck the life out of the tailgating atmoshpere on gamedays. Last year it was no wood fire pits and increased parking costs. Then halfway through the year, they banned music (at least in the lot I tailgated in).

A few years ago they closed down the Myrtle hill, which was a great place to tailgate, and there have been so many more of these little changes. The U is playing everyone for a bunch of fools. Make a couple changes each year so that the backlash is little, but the cumulative effect of their changes over the past several years have been significant and a detriment to the tailgating experience. I am tired of it and wish more people realized what is going on.

 

[JonDMiller]

Also Fred Mims has a insider (his wife) on the city council. Just like the war on drugs in nearly every country is a complete failure, so will war on alcohol in college.

Kirk's an outspoken proponent of the 21 rule for downtown bars. What's that make him?

 

[okeefe4prez]

I am tired of it and wish more people realized what is going on.

Iowa football is cyclical - we're at the top of the cycle now and the administration and IC City Council can clamp down on tailgating all they want and we'll still get 70k people to Kinnick most weeks. The true test will be when we revert to the mean and have a few 6-6 years or even a 3-9 year. When I cruise over from Chi-town, there's a steady stream of Hawk fans, but I can't imagine that those same people are going to drive 7 or 8 hours round trip if tailgating is crushed and the football team is terrible. The tailgating at Illinois sucks and the football team is bad - they are only 2 and a half hours from Chi-town and their stadium is half empty for a lot of games. That will be us when the football team drops again (which it will).

 

[okeefe4prez]

Kirk's an outspoken proponent of the 21 rule for downtown bars. What's that make him?

A guy who realizes that his multi-million dollar salary is contingent on keeping kids from getting kicked off his team, which is marginally more likely to happen if they are in bars drinking when they are 19.

 

[H8IAST8]

Kirk's an outspoken proponent of the 21 rule for downtown bars. What's that make him?

I expect him to be. Do I agree, absolutely not. Just because he is the football coach, I'm not gonna drink all the political kool aid he might hand out

I hope there is a huge crack down in September and October. Cause just a few weeks away, the 21 ordinance will drive the students out in force and smack that law down. Now where is the party registration site...

 

[hoffahawk]

I think the biggest question will be how they enforce them. I don't have a problem with any of the new rules depending on how they are enforced.

I do wonder however if I am in the KC lot and am walking from one tailgate to another can I drink a beer between them? Are they just talking about those walking down Melrose?

Or if I am in the parking lot over by the left field corner of the baseball field can I drink a beer walking down the path between the baseball field and the KC RV lot?

I also have a hard time seeing how they are going to try and get all the big donors in the RV lot to quit tailgating that quickly after the game but will see what happens when the season actually starts.

 

[H8IAST8]

Lets not forget the city council trying to deny liqour licenses for a large number of bars about 3-5 years ago. Add that to the list. Iowa is already at a diadvantage when it came to tailgating space, etc. Fortuantely vendors and fans made the best out of it and it has been a truely unique tailgating experience. Now the Magic bus and Stadium Club are gone, are the vendors next? Soon we will have to buy premade food because grills will probably be outlawed.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

DUI is already an offense. Public Intox is against the law. And Kinnick security (along with the help of fans) can toss out anybody who is a problem.

We have all the rules/laws we need. Enforce them, instead of making the rest of us go home early. The trouble-makers that are behind this "over-reaction" are not that hard to spot. Identify them, talk to them, and if appropriate...toss them out and/or arrest them. You'd have the support of most everyone around you.

To use a popular sports slogan, "Just Do It".

Naw, too simple. We need more committees, regulations and rhetoric. That's always an effective solution.

 

[IHTINB]

People seem to be taking the wrong thing from the open container thing. It's not a safety issue, it's simply enforcing a law that already exists in Iowa City. They've looked the other way for years and now they aren't, it's as simple as that.

I bet they still look the other way for about 99% of offenders. I always have one last one as I make the trek from the Library/EPB lot to the stadium. Drink it while going over the Grand Avenue bridge, and toss it in a trash can by the time I pass the dorms or field house. I don't foresee any problems in continuing this practice.

 

[Hawkeyes1982x]

Well I couldn't imagine it not slowing down the pace of traffic considering ALL the frickin construction going on in and around Iowa City. But who really drives tanked out of their mind, duh. But like one poster said, good luck really trying to crack down on people walking around with a beerski. That's gonna be a task.

 

[greenmoss]

UI adds new tailgating rules | press-citizen.com | Iowa City Press Citizen

What do you think?

It looks like the main things are:

-DUI checkpoints, saying it won't slow down an already slow exiting process
-Limits post game tailgating to one hour in University lots & Hospital ramps
-No carrying open containers of alcohol from lot to lot, or walking around
-Increase in enforcement of public urination and the like

I don't tailgate, and I am not on the road after the games amongst people that perhaps have had too much to drink. Most of my friends set a designated driver each week and rotate it...

We have all seen quite a few people with a 12 pack in one hand, an open drink in another, walking from tailgate spot to tailgate spot, as they have several friends...sounds like even if they were carrying a closed cooler, with an open beer, they could get a ticket.

What do you think about this?

I think it would be easier to just police the event on an individual basis. Barta claims that it is 5% that is the trouble makers. Why not just ramp up police getting rid of the idiots and leave the other 95% alone. We rotate drivers every week and they stay sober.

I will also say that we park in the RV lot and if they think we have a chance to be out of there in an hour after the game they are crazy. It is usually 2-3 hrs before traffic is any where close to being moveable. We enjoy the full day tailgate, which means coming to the Rv after the game having a beer and snack and talking about a W. We also have a satellite and watch the other games after the Hawks.

We wont have to worry about the DUI checkpoints, but again there is no way that wont slow down traffic.

 

[JonDMiller]

When I cruise over from Chi-town, there's a steady stream of Hawk fans, but I can't imagine that those same people are going to drive 7 or 8 hours round trip if tailgating is crushed and the football team is terrible. .

People can still drive there, set up, cook out, get out the chairs, and drink to their hearts content in their area, next to family and friends, pee in the porta potties, go to the game, drink afterwards for an hour, then leave. How is tailgating going to be crushed for this person? Because I am guessing if you are driving back to Chicago, someone has to be sober, right?

 

[H8IAST8]

People can still drive there, set up, cook out, get out the chairs, and drink to their hearts content in their area, next to family and friends, pee in the porta potties, go to the game, drink afterwards for an hour, then leave. How is tailgating going to be crushed for this person? Because I am guessing if you are driving back to Chicago, someone has to be sober, right?

Jon, you are assuming there won't be changes the next year or the year after. This isn't our first rodeo. Also, some lots may have enough portapotties, but the Myrtle lot doesnt. Why do you think people are peeing in the woods? It's not cause they want to, it is because it literally takes 30 mins waiting in line. Get some more freaking portapotties for the students!

 

[Section101Hawk]

-DUI checkpoints, saying it won't slow down an already slow exiting process: I'm cool with this AS LONG as it doesn't slow things down. We have a DD every week, and I prefer to not be on I-80 with a bunch of drunk drivers.

-Limits post game tailgating to one hour in University lots & Hospital ramps: This one is a bummer, the 11am games we usually hang out for a couple hours. This one will slow things down more than the DUI checkpoints though. Traffic after the night games when they don't allow post-game tailgating is ALWAYS a nightmare.

-No carrying open containers of alcohol from lot to lot, or walking around: This one doesn't break my heart. I usually take 2 beers with me for the walk from Finkbine commuter to the stadium, so I won't be drinking those anymore. My only concern with this rule is what problem exactly is it fixing?

-Increase in enforcement of public urination and the like: Parking in Finkbine commuter, using the woods is a normal process. The lines for the port-a-pots are too long, there is simply not enough restrooms available for that number of people. The guys that go in the woods are not hurting anybody, always facing away from the crowd and do nothing to draw attention to themselves. I understand that puplic urination is illegal, and am okay with the enforcement, but the UI needs to step up on the number of port-a-pots.

 

[JonDMiller]

The biggest thing I see, from someone that doesn't tailgate, is the people that are being responsible, the shutting off of the post game cookouts and tailgating an hour after is the biggest deal...there are a lot of responsible people that plan their biggest meal of the day after the game for an 11am kickoff...this will be the first thing to change, I suspect.

It will be interesting when some high roller gets asked to close his cooler an hour after the game.

 

[H8IAST8]

Increase in enforcement of public urination and the like: Parking in Finkbine commuter, using the woods is a normal process. The lines for the port-a-pots are too long, there is simply not enough restrooms available for that number of people. The guys that go in the woods are not hurting anybody, always facing away from the crowd and do nothing to draw attention to themselves. I understand that puplic urination is illegal, and am okay with the enforcement, but the UI needs to step up on the number of port-a-pots.

This seems to be a reoccuring problem. Is any member of the media going to ask questions about these things, cuase i want answers.

 

[JonDMiller]

O'Keefe has a good point on when things start to back off from January bowl game success...it will be interesting.

Some of my friends that are responsible, but enjoy themselves, are not happy about this and this will be a slippery slope if things fall back at all.

 

[Hawkeyes1982x]

I guess I can see the issue with tailgating after the game. But it does become a hassle i'll admit especially when your trying to get out right after the game and you can't because people are partying and wont let you out so your pretty much stuck there waiting on them.

 

[iahawk20]

I think it sucks.

The check point thing is ridiculous.

LOL, this is sad. Yes preventing drinking and driving is horrible. Classy as usual 89.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

I'll assume that since you don't drive you haven't driven down Melrose after a game before. Traffic moves at about 2 mph. You don't have to stop cars at a checkpoint cause they spend most of thier time stopped anyway. It would be very easy to have a checkpoint that doesn't slow traffic on Melrose.

This is why you park at Finkbine. Easy in, easy out.